Murasaki
by UofMluv
Summary: Itachi's plans are always flawless, that is, until he underestimates the living, breathing, and pink component in his plan to save his brother.
1. Chapter 1

**Murasaki**

**Chapter 1**

It was a simple mission really. Sakura had to collect a list of medical plants and herbs and report back to the Hokage when finished. There was no time restraint, which Sakura had originally been thankful for, until she actually read the list.

As Sakura scanned through the many pages, she discovered that the majority of the plants came from obscure locations or had particular growing seasons. There was also a good chunk of the list with names that she had never even heard of because they were so very rarely used in the medical field. To this Sakura took personal affront, as she considered herself quite a well read medic. She wasn't one of the top medics in Konoha for nothing. Only Tsunade-Shishou and Shizune could boast greater medic skills than she, which was mostly due to their vast amount of experience and Sakura's relative lack of it.

After what seemed like many months of searching, collecting, and cataloging, the young medic had finally graduated to the last plant on the list. It was called Murasaki, a flower that bloomed only in subzero temperatures. That small detail was why Sakura had put off harvesting this plant until the very end of her mission. She had dreaded going to the northern reaches of the Land of Frost and therefore cursed the loathsome Sasori for his damned poisons.

Apparently, after his demise, many of Sasori's unique and advanced poisons had been circulated amongst multiple shinobi nations; countries that were using these poisons against Konoha in battle. Sakura knew someone was exploiting the late poison master's research, she just didn't know who. And whoever it was, was most likely making a substantial sum selling the poisons.

Without the proper antidotes, more and more shinobi would fall ill. Only a few highly trained medics were capable of cleansing victims of poison without the antidote through the use of a healing jutsu. That's why, along with the dwindling supply of medical plants, Sakura was determined to complete her mission. A little bit of cold weather would _not_ deter her from protecting her village.

From what her research had told her, the Murasaki flower was known to bloom between rocks, where it could latch on and avoid the unrelenting winds. And after inquiring in one of the local Frost villages, a helpful villager had enlightened her to the fact that the flower was commonly seen blooming in the very mountain pass she was traveling through. However, after an hour of searching, Sakura was beginning to doubt the words of the elderly man that had directed her up the mountain.

A sharp gust of wind tore through the mountain pass. The wind seemed to suck the air out of Sakura's lungs and the small flurries of snow turned into needles against her painfully rosy cheeks. She adjusted the cold weather traveling cloak more securely around her shoulders. The thick lining was a cheap semblance of protection against this harsh climate. Not until Sakura was out of the elements, would she find any relief from the cold and the wind.

Coming around a thick outcrop of icy rock, Sakura's eyes detected a shock of purple amidst the gray landscape. A wave of unadulterated giddiness washed through her at the sight. Sakura rushed forward, attempting to maneuver past the wall of rock. However, her limbs, numbed by the cold, were clumsy in their movements. She scrambled to regain her purchase on the cliff, but instead she began to slip down the side of the mountain. She charged her hands and feet with chakra before falling any farther. She stuck to the side of the cliff, willing herself not to look down.

"Damn it! Focus Sakura," she grumbled to herself while scaling back up to where she had seen the blooms.

She had one task left in this mission, and she sure as hell wasn't going to screw up by falling off some mountain.

With one last grunt of exertion, Sakura pulled herself over the ledge. The flowers were now in view, but she proceeded slowly towards her goal, unwilling to take any false steps.

The flowers were tucked away between the craggy dips in the stone. Sakura pulled out her kunai and the storage scrolls. She extracted the plants and sealed them away. Once the scroll was safely stowed in the pouch above her hip, did Sakura begin her decent.

By the time she was at the bottom of the mountain, the sky had changed from a dull gray to a much darker and oppressive hue. The clouds were thick and the wind was so strong that Sakura was sure if she hadn't been a shinobi, her light frame would have been swept away.

She could either start towards Konoha, or stay a night in the village. It took her all of one second to point her feet in the direction of the village, which let off a soft yellow glow in the distance. Only a masochist would consider traveling through the oncoming storm.

The storm had arrived by the time Sakura made it to the stoop of the local inn. With a bluster of snow and pink locks, she entered the warm establishment. Sakura was meet with a warm smile from the elderly woman at the front desk. She had already abandoned her Konoha Hitai-ate before going into the village and was careful to mask her chakra. Despite this being a secluded town, there was always a risk of running into another shinobi. Sakura had also discovered that inn keepers tended to be more hospitable to a random traveler versus a foreign shinobi. That hospitality was almost always in the form of a cheaper room.

"You must be the young traveler that passed through town earlier today! What is a pretty girl like yourself doing all the way out here?" The inn keeper inquired.

"I was just collecting some medical plants for my Oba-chan," Sakura said with feigned innocence, "She's a healer in my home town."

"Why aren't you sweet helping out your old grandmother. I'll prepare a nice warm room for you upstairs while you go warm yourself up by the fire over there."

The woman gestured to a passage way behind the front desk, and quickly left to go upstairs. Sakura heeded the woman's words and left through the archway into a warm sitting area. There was a blazing fire across the room. Sakura sat down on the sofa closet to the fire, all the while thinking she had done a rather good job of acting. After removing her cloak, she leaned back into the cushions and prepared to shut her eyes until the woman came back. The area showed no signs of chakra so she felt at ease to relax.

Soon she would be able to go home. She had begun to miss her regular schedule of working at the hospital and going on missions with Team Kakashi. She would never admit it, but she did miss those three knuckle heads. Despite all of their hardships, they were their own little family. Or perhaps it was the hardship that brought their team together.

Not long after she had closed her eyes though, Sakura heard noises coming from the front door of the inn. She couldn't see what was happening from her vantage point, but from what she could hear, the inn keeper was greeting another customer. The low muted tones told Sakura that the newcomer was a man.

This time the woman decided to show her guest into the sitting room.

"Itachi, I must introduce you to this nice girl! She traveled all the way here to help out her poor grandmother. Itachi this is well, uh..."

Sakura turned around at the sound of their arrival and blanched. Not just two feet in front of her was none other than Uchiha Itachi. Sakura was less than elegant in her response. She bolted to her feet, eyes wide, and hand hovering above her hip pouch. However she didn't want to endanger the woman in front of her, so she refrained from drawing a weapon...yet.

"It's Sakura, but I just remembered that I have to return to my grandmother's tonight! So if you'll excuse me—"

"Dear, you couldn't possibly leave. The storm will eat you alive! You young people become acquainted with each other while I go work!"

The woman, oblivious to the tension in the room, left without another word. She was probably going to go pat herself on the back for her marvelous matchmaking skills.

Now alone with the Uchiha, Sakura thought she would rather take her chances in the wild storm, than stay in the same room as Konoha's number one missing-nin. She kept her eyes at his chin, wondering why the woman hadn't freaked out about his blood red eyes. Her curiosity got the better of her and she quickly swept her eyes over his face. Instead of being met with the killing gaze of the Sharingan, she encountered a pair dark obsidian orbs. Her mind instantly went to Sasuke. She almost wasn't convinced it wasn't Sasuke. No, this was his evil older brother. This was Itachi.

"Now, Sakura," he said, his deep, velvety tone filling the room, making it feel infinitely smaller, "It's far more dangerous out there than it is in here."

Itachi thought the young medic resembled a startled deer. Ready to bolt at any sound, any movement. He had looked on in amusement through her rushed words and obvious attempts at avoiding confrontation. However, he knew she was smart, for her eyes refused meet his.

When the striking pair of aquamarines did meet his gaze, he was caught off guard. For almost a second, Itachi thought an expression of recognition washed through her features: the miniscule widening of the lids, the dilation of the pupils, and finally the slight quiver of her full bottom lip.

After he spoke her countenance swiftly morphed into one of wariness and mistrust. However, he didn't miss the disappointment in her eyes that appeared just before her face contorted into a scowl. He knew then that he could trust this Kunoichi, whose emotions were so easily read. It took one look to confirm his suspicions that Haruno Sakura stilled cared for his Otouto. And it was that lingering, if not small, bit of affection he would use to his advantage and would exploit until his own goals were met.

Sakura felt bolted to the floor despite the overwhelming urge to run from the nuke-nin. Fear crept up the back of her neck, down her spine, and through her finger tips. Still locked in his gaze, she felt a tremor along her thighs.

Her hands her shaking.

The situation was completely unexpected, and the more Sakura thought about it, the more contrived it seemed. The shinobi before was dressed simply, he lacked the brazen cloak that marked him as Akatsuki. He also neglected to activate his Sharingan. That it its self was an act unheard of by the Uchiha. He wanted something out of this encounter, but his intentions were anyone's guess.

Clasping her hands into tight fists, Sakura decided the best course of action was not to run from the shinobi. He would only catch her and that would most likely bring out his anger. And if he was anything like his brother, which she suspected he was (they look so similar, how could they not be?), she did _not_ want to be on his bad side.

"What are you doing here, Uchiha?" The words were steady, braver than she felt.

"Haruno-san, I was simply acquiring a room for the night."

He said it like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Which made since, since they were standing in an inn... Sakura quickly gathered her thoughts, her fear lessening and her annoyance making an appearance. How dare he mock her intelligence.

"Excuse me, let me clarify that question. Why are you here, in northern Frost, in a town so small it's on hardly any maps, _harassing me_?"

The words left her mouth before she could stop them. Really her temperament would be the death of her. Now glowering at the Uchiha, she realized that she needn't worry. His face remained infuriatingly stoic.

Her eyes widened when the dangerous shinobi moved even closer. The back of her calves brushed against the sofa she had recently vacated. Maybe snapping at him wasn't such a good idea. He reached out with his right hand, selecting a strand of rosy locks from her shoulder. Sakura's fear returned twofold. He leaned in close, so that his taller form loomed over her much shorter frame, his lips just barely grazing the shell of her ear. A shiver ran down her spine at the smallest of contact.

"Dearest, Sakura," his was voice deep and low, a whisper only she could hear, "you would know if I were harassing you."

Itachi dropped the soft lock he had would around his finger and stood back. The words left the intended impact. The Kunoichi stood ramrod straight in front of him, no doubt contemplating the implied threat. However, as soon as the space between them was restored, Sakura flew to the door of the inn.

Perhaps he was too intimidating. The last thing he wanted was to have to hunt down the young kunoichi again. While she was fast, he was faster, and the moment she had the door open, Itachi was beside her, shooting an arm out across the threshold. His hand connected unyieldingly with the door frame.

Outside the storm was in full swing, allowing zero visibility. The open door let in gusts of wind accompanied by stinging snow.

"Don't be foolish. You will stay here tonight."

His words were punctuated with the dull thud of the door closing off her only way of escape.

Itachi was amused by the gleam of frustration in her eyes. He had never encountered a shinobi who expressed this much emotion before, and she was in the company of her enemy. Takana-san, the inn keeper, chose this moment to descend the stairs behind them.

"Oh I hope you two are getting along nicely! Your rooms are ready too."

The grim irony of that statement wasn't lost on Sakura. With the way that they were standing, Sakura backed against the wall and Itachi extending his arm over her shoulder, it was no wonder that the woman thought the two of them were cozying up.

Sakura used Takana-san's interruption to dip under the Uchiha's arm and start towards the stairs.

"Thank you so much, I really must be getting to bed now."

Sakura departed with a fake yawn and a sweet smile for the old woman. It took all of her restraint not to use her shinobi speed to run into her room and lock the door as fast as she could. The inn keeper was completely unaware of her and Itachi's shinobi status, and Sakura wanted to keep it that way. If she ended up in an altercation with the fearsome Akatsuki member, she didn't want anyone involved. She would most likely have difficulty defending herself if it came to a fight, much less an added civilian.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief when she slipped into her room. Finally she—

"Kami!"

Sakura let out a breathy yelp, having noticed the Uchiha standing in the center of her small room. But before she could yell at her intruder, he began to speak.

"Haruno-san, it has come to my attention that we have a similar goal."

Sakura continued to stare at him blankly not having a clue what he meant. If he was implying that she secretly wanted to harm Naruto, he had another thing coming.

"Do not imply that we have _anything_ in common, Uchiha."

"Ah but we have, do we not? You remember my brother, Sasuke? I believe you were his teammate, along with the Jinchuuriki"

Sasuke's name seemed entirely too loud when spoken by the lips of his tormentor. It was not fair that Sakura's hard exterior crumbled at the mention of her former teammate. Despite her strength, Sakura's weakness has always been her concern for her teammates. No matter how poorly Sasuke treated her, she couldn't help but fear and worry for him all this time that he has been in Sound.

Her voice much quieter, and subdued, she asks, "What about Sasuke?"

"He is following a path of self destruction."

"A path set by you! How dare you say—"

"Kunoichi, I suggest you keep quiet and let me talk."

Sakura silently observed the dark shinobi. Deep stress lines creased his face, which to her dismay was easily more handsome than Sasuke's. For whatever reason, Sakura felt she was not talking to the Akatsuki member who attacked Naruto. This was someone else entirely. Maybe Itachi being taken out of context of the battle field made her see him differently. That didn't make her any less wary of him though. Sakura knew absolutely nothing about the man before her. She depended on her own knowledge to get her through situations. Thats why she loved healing, because she could always depend on her own mind for the solutions. However, Sakura knew now she was stuck with a sore lack of information. She was completely out of her depth here.

He took her silence as a sign to continue.

"He seeks power, believing Orochimaru able to give it to him. I am sure you are familiar with the monster Orochimaru is slowly turning him into?"

Sakura recalled the curse mark, how it spread, and eventually turned him into some kind of winged beast. It not only made him look inhuman but also stripped him of what humanity he possessed.

"He foolishly thinks that this is power enough to defeat me. He is mistaken."

"Why do care what happens to him? You seem to bring him only more pain and suffering."

"Do not assume, Haruno-san, that I care about Sasuke. It only matters to me that I will be able to utilize him at a later time."

Sakura shook her head the tiniest bit. Of course he didn't care. Sasuke was just another tool for him to use. But it did seem suspicious. She didn't actually expect the older Uchiha to answer her question and his denial almost seemed too defensive. Why would he choose to involve himself with Sasuke now, after years of ignoring his younger brother?

Sakura was reading too much into the situation. Looking for things that weren't really there. Itachi didn't speak with emotion, therefore she couldn't have possibly picked up hints of concern. No, that would be crazy. This is Uchiha Itachi, clan murderer, not affectionate older brother.

"It is essential that the curse mark placed upon him by Orochimaru be removed. And preferably his allegiance to Orochimaru severed as well."

"How do I tie into this? How could I possibly help you achieve those two goals?"

"You are a medic-nin, apprentice to the Godaime Hokage, and therefore are highly skilled with chakra control and seals. Simply put, you are the best suited for disabling the seal."

His logic was sound, but it still didn't erase all of Sakura's doubts. Couldn't he just march right on into sound, kill Orochimaru, and slap Sasuke around a little bit? Sakura realized she was making assumptions on the Itachi associated with Akatsuki. Somehow she knew that this Itachi would never resort to such a plan. His motives are hidden and probably much greater or different for the reasons he gave her earlier. Doubt must be apparent on her face because Itachi continues.

"I have my reasons for following this course of action, do not question it. And you _will_ be assisting."

"I haven't agreed to anything."

"Your acceptance does not matter. I cannot allow you to return to Konoha after this conversation."

Itachi moved behind Sakura when he saw her backing away. One arm snared her against his chest, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs. Her arms were pinned to her sides rendered useless. She discovered the pressure of a kunai along her neck.

Sakura realized she didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to save her life as well as her teammate's. Suddenly betraying her village seemed only a small price to pay. She knew if she were Naruto she would do anything to get Sasuke back, even if it meant consorting with an S-class missing-nin. Sakura inwardly groaned, her situation must be pretty bleak if she had to resort to justifying her action's by comparing them to Naruto's, a boy who never, ever, followed the rules.

She would do this for Naruto. She owed it to him after all the times he had protected her. It was high time that she finally proved her worth and strength to Team 7. This was her chance. She would save Sasuke even if that meant helping Itachi, because teammates never give up on each other. She hoped Kakashi-Sensei would be proud, if not, she was about to do something incredibly stupid.

"Fine, tell me what to do."

* * *

If you were wondering, Muraski means "purple" in Japanese.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Naruto! He belongs to the amazing Kishimoto. (sorry I forgot to add that last chapter)**

**A/N**

**So people actually are reading this, which is cool. Thank you everybody who reviewed/faved/followed Murasaki! You guys are awesome. So here's the second chapter. Have fun with the slight ItaSaku-ness a little further down the page :)**

* * *

**Murasaki**

**Chapter 2**

Sakura looked out the front window of the inn. The storm had passed by dawn, the time at which Itachi requested her to meet him. She left payment for the room at the front counter along with the key. She hoped Takana-san wouldn't worry too much when she discovered the young, pink haired girl missing as well as the tall, black haired man. That was her last thought before she left the inn.

The trek through the thick snow to get to the edge of the village was wholly unwelcome. Sakura had gotten almost no sleep last night because of a certain Uchiha. He had neglected to tell her anything about the plan except for where they were going. This caused her to toss and turn all night.

She was so busy getting worked up over her loss of sleep that she failed to notice the dark figure that had taken up stride beside her.

"Haruno-san, calm down. Your chakra could be detected for miles."

Sakura felt heat creep up her neck and stain her checks. She started to take deep breaths when she realized he was right. She had been projecting all of her emotion into her surroundings. Just another thing she need to works on when she got back; stealth. A wave of melancholy seemed to wash away her annoyance and slight embarrassment with the Uchiha. She realized that she might not return to Konoha ever again.

There wasn't any choice then. She had to complete this mission successfully, otherwise she would lose everything. Her resolve left her calm and determined.

Sakura observed the nuke-nin beside her. The cloak he wore was solid black. No red clouds. What did this mean? Had he defected? He had his Sharingan activated today though. They must have been far enough away from the town then give up the civilian act.

Sakura tugged her Hitai-ate out from her cloak and tied it in her hair. She just felt off without it on her head.

Once the village had all but disappeared from view, they began to pick up their pace, running faster and faster towards Hot Springs Country. Then they would make their way into Rice Field Country, where the hidden Sound village was located. After that Sakura had no clue as to what would happen next. She just had to trust that Itachi knew what he was doing.

It was mid day by the time they reached the thick forests outside of sound. Sakura's anxiety grew with their increased proximity to the village. She wasn't willing to run any farther until she knew what he was planning. The fact that they had been running at Anbu level speeds may have also played a role when making the decision to stop.

Itachi only traveled a few trees ahead of her before he realized she was no longer following. It wasn't long until he joined Sakura on her branch.

"What's the plan? Are you just going to drop me off in Sound with Sasuke and say 'Play nice!'? Because that doesn't really seem like your style."

"I wasn't purposefully withholding information, Haruno-san. And we aren't going to sound. We are going to a lab a few miles north of it."

"Oh. What's at the lab?"

"Kabuto."

"Kabuto? What do we need him for?" She asked, picking up her pace to keep up with his longer strides.

"We don't need him for anything. We just need you to kill him."

Sakura sucked in a breath at that. As much as she hated Kabuto for betraying them she didn't necessarily feel enough wrath to take him out. Itachi must have felt that she had reservations because he continued.

"Kabuto is also responsible for the distribution of lethal poisons to enemies of Konoha."

"How did you—"

Sakura trailed off, now thinking more about the situation. Itachi knew she played a part in combating the recent poison attacks. He wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise. He was manipulating her and she knew it. She could not allow Kabuto to live after finding out this piece of information. This may have been the only solution to stopping the onslaught of poisoned weapons and dying comrades.

"By eliminating Kabuto, Orochimaru will be left vulnerable without his medic. He will seek vengeance as well as a replacement for his loss."

"Me. He will want me," Sakura clarified.

"Aa, and that is how we will infiltrate sound."

Sakura regarded the impressive nin in front of her. He truly was a genius. Orochimaru could hardly be suspicious of her if he was the one to bring her in.

"Okay, let's go."

They commenced their run with Itachi leading, while Sakura made sure no one was following them.

Itachi must have been confident enough in her abilities to include her in his mission. It would have been a compliment if she had been looking to attract S-class criminals. Sakura wasn't weak by any means, she had taken out Sasori and then soon after achieved Jounin ranking. However, she was nowhere near the Uchiha's level.

It wasn't long before Itachi stood at the edge of a clearing. The familiar short grey building stood ten meters away. He signaled for Sakura to stop before leading her to the simple entrance. As he expected, they had no trouble gaining entry to the lab. He had already told Kabuto that he would be stopping by, although now for a much different reason.

They passed through multiple corridors before reaching an industrial type door. Itachi swung the double doors open without any preamble, revealing the white haired and bespectacled med-nin.

"Ah, Itachi-san, you are here for your next session," Kabuto said turning around from whatever experiment he was working on.

Sakura whipped her head over to him after Kabuto had spoken, the skin between her brows forming a line. Itachi hoped she would forget about the comment after her fight. The Kunoichi would not be happy when he refused to divulge any information regarding that comment.

He trained his eyes on Sakura as she stepped farther into the room. Kabuto seemed to fully understand then that she was heading towards him.

"Sakura-chan, it has been too long," he said with a grin.

"I'm not here to catch up on old times, Kabuto."

Sakura undid the clasp around her neck and threw her traveling cloak aside. Itachi's eyes followed her movements as she approached her target. While he knew she was capable of possessing incredible strength, her petite body made him doubt this. He was proven wrong when she slammed a gloved fist into Kabuto's table. It was completely decimated, wood and glass splintering and flying through the air.

Kabuto quickly leaped away from the lethal pinkette while at the same time forming chakra scalpels that extended from his hands.

"You've picked up some new skills I see. From the Godaime, yes?"

Sakura advanced, activating her own minty green scalpels. Her eyes narrowed as they engaged in close ranged battle. Each movement was so quick and subtle that Itachi realized he wouldn't have been able to distinguish the moves without his Sharingan.

Neither seemed to be getting the upper hand over the other. They were both equally matched. Kabuto was pushing Sakura towards the wall in line with the doors guarded by Itachi. He gained on her enough to push her directly into the wall where their arms stilled. Their scalpels were locked tight in front of them, now it simple a contest of strength.

From what Itachi observed of Sakura's inhuman strength, was that it was the result of incredible chakra control. She could enhance any of her attacks by applying as much or as little chakra into the tissues of the appendage. However, it seemed Sakura was limited as to when she could apply this strength. Her use of scalpels seemed to leech away her chakra enhanced strength from her arms. Itachi realized she was holding back Kabuto's attack on her own. An impressive feat when her opponent easily had sixty pounds on her.

"And it would also appear you picked up a new friend as well, hmm Sakura-chan," he said this while glancing over at Itachi.

"He's not my friend."

"Then perhaps a lover. What will poor Sasuke-kun say when he finds out you ran off with his older brother?"

Itachi supposed the taunting must have given Sakura the extra push she needed to disengage with Kabuto, pushing him roughly away and retreating back into the room. Kabuto remained in the corner. It amused him that the idea of them together repulsed her so.

"Enough talk."

Sakura's fist connected with one of the two support beams in the lab. The result was instantaneous. The ceiling crumbled over Kabuto's head, forcing him to dive out of the way. While he was still distracted Sakura attacked with a chakra reinforced punch but Kabuto dodged at the last second. Sakura continued forward with the momentum of her punch, leaving her back exposed. Mid dodge, Kabuto propelled his arm out behind him, kunai in hand. The blade sliced the entire width of her upper back. Sakura gasped from the sting but quickly righted herself, chakra scalpels glowing.

Itachi continued to watch the fight with interest, noting the kunoichi's strengths and weaknesses. Sakura managed to land a few strategically placed cuts on her opponent. Kabuto's arms hung at his sides lifelessly. Her final blow sent him across the room amidst the rubble. His chakra signature flickered and then disappeared all together.

"Haruno-san, come. We must put distance between us and the lab."

Sakura recognized Itachi's voice and glanced over at him. He wore an expectant expression. She then comprehended his words and moved to gather her cloak, only to find it buried under the fallen ceiling. While slightly annoyed, she forgot the garment and moved to follow Itachi out of the building.

The sun was low in the sky by the time they emerged. Itachi head into the forest immediately but Sakura lingered, still lost in thought. She never enjoyed killing, not that other shinobi did, but she always preferred healing.

She walked away from the building and placed her hands along the ground. Using her chakra to feel out faults in the bedrock, Sakura found what she was looking for. She moved fifteen paces to her left and stomped a chakra enforced foot into the spot. The building groaned and then began to collapse on itself.

Sakura jumped up into the trees only to find Itachi giving her a questioning look.

"That was where Kabuto was developing the poisons. I had to destroy it to prevent anyone else from picking up his work."

Itachi only nodded.

They ran for an hour, back tracking and setting false leads so no one could follow them to where ever Itachi was headed. It was then that Sakura's fatigue caught up to her. Before leaving she had hastily healed the wound on her back, believing she would have the opportunity to perform a more complete healing later. But with the way her energy and chakra were draining so quickly, she doubted she could heal anything at this point. This was no ordinary kunai wound.

Sakura leaped from the tree branch and onto the forest floor. The movement gave her a head rush, causing her to stumble a few steps before folding to the ground all together. Her vision began to blacken around the edges, but she managed to catch sight of Itachi landing a few feet in front of her.

"Haruno-san, what is—"

"Poison. Kabuto dipped his kunai in poison," Sakura gasped, just barely getting the words out.

With what little chakra she had left she scanned her upper back. The poison must have reopened wound because her hand came back bloody. Sakura centered all of her focus and energy on identifying her symptoms and cross checking them with those of the different types of poisons she had cataloged during her research in Konoha.

Her sight was even more distorted than before. She heard Itachi approach and kneel before her. She buried her head into her hands overcome by a wave of dizziness. It became increasingly harder to maintain her balance even though she was only kneeling, legs tucked under her. What was she trying to remember? It was too hard to think. Vaguely she recalled Itachi repeat her name over and over again. Did he just call her Sakura? Oh plants, that was what she was thinking about. Something purple...

"Murasaki," she mumbled into her hands.

And then she passed out.

Itachi soon found his arms full of Sakura. He knew he had to inspect the wound, but there was barely any light left in the day. It would be better if he got her somewhere safe, preferably with light. He also knew that she was poisoned so he would have to neutralize or find the antidote too. Her last word was 'murasaki,' a rare medical herb. He assumed Sakura meant for him to use that as an antidote against the poison. Either that or she was just mumbling nonsense in her delirium.

He had some knowledge of healing jutsus and was able to knit the skin of her back together to stop the bleeding. It was only a temporary fix though.

Itachi scooped her up and began to run toward safety. She felt fragile and light in his arms, her head lulling gently against his neck. His grip on her tightened. She would survive this, there was no other possibility.

She was his only means to get to Sasuke. Through her would he finally be able to protect his precious Otouto. For years he had failed to protect him like he should have. If he could do this one thing, free Sasuke from the snake sannin, maybe it would lessen the burden that the massacre left on his shoulders. Despite his efforts, he knew it was an impossibility. This was his burden to bare. He owed it to his brother to do this.

No matter how much did though, it would ever be enough. Nothing could ever make up for what he had taken from his brother. Itachi even sacrificed his own eyesight. For the past view months his sight had been deteriorating faster than usual. He was forced to seek the help of Kabuto to recover what little was left of his eyesight. But now Kabuto was dead. So this was his last chance to aid his brother. Failure was not an option.

* * *

"Oh, my head," Sakura grunted while trying to rub the pain from her forehead and eyes.

She peeked through her fingers to find herself tucked in a very comfortable bed. She was on her stomach, head buried in a fluffy pillow. She was still trying to put together the pieces of her memory of how she got there when she noticed the other person in the room. Sitting not far from the bed was Itachi about to approach her.

Sakura began to sit up only to realize she wasn't wearing her red vest. For a moment she was overcome with embarrassment and clutched the soft sheets to her chest, but then she remembered her back injury. She went into medic mode, flaring up her hands with warm healing chakra. But the chakra never came, actually Sakura had absolutely no access to any chakra in her body. She was utterly defenseless.

"What did you do, Uchiha?" Sakura growled.

Itachi ignored her and continued on his path to her bedside. He sat down on the edge the bed and began to reach for her.

Sakura instantly recoiled, "Don't touch me."

Once again he ignored her and pressed his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"Haruno-san, I must check the wound along your back, lie down."

Not seeing the point in arguing, she settled down against the mattress while Itachi tended to the cut. Interestingly she felt the familiar charge of healing chakra over her back.

"I didn't know you could heal," she blurted out.

His only response was a low mumble that suspiciously sounded like the "hn" Sasuke used to give in response to everything.

"How did you dispel the poison? And why is my chakra sealed?"

"I found your medical notes among your things as well as the correct medicinal herbs."

"You went through my stuff—"

"And as for the reason your chakra is sealed, it is merely for you protection. We are in an Akatsuki base. They don't take kind to other shinobi, therefore you are here under the pretence of being a civilian. Many of their skills include highly sensitive chakra detection and identification."

Itachi continued to heal her back. His fingers moved across her back with a gentleness she wouldn't have ever thought he possessed. After a few minutes the warmth receded. Just as he was about to withdraw his hands though, there was a loud knock at the door which simultaneously opened to reveal a hulking blue shinobi. Kakashi-sensei had told her that his name was Kisame.

"Itachi, we have a mission—" his words quickly faded when he finally took a look at his partner and discovered he wasn't as alone as he thought.

Someone _had_ been busy while he was off on those solo missions without Itachi. Throughout all of his years at the organization he had not once seen the Uchiha bring back a woman. So it was a perfectly acceptable reaction to be this slack jawed at the sight of his partner running his hands across the bare back of a beautiful young woman.

He couldn't see her face, as it was angled away, but if the glare on the Uchiha's face was anything to go by, Kisame had indeed interrupted an intimate moment.

"Leave. We will discuss the mission later."

Kisame felt it wise to listen to the younger shinobi's request, especially with the Sharingan trained on him so threateningly. The glare wouldn't stop him from informing the rest of the guys here at the base about Itachi's "guest" though.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief when the other Akatsuki left. Itachi could probably feel her heart pounding since he never lifted his hands from her back. He did so now and paced swiftly across the room to where his Akatsuki cloak was hanging. While he put it on, Sakura inspected her back with her bare hands. The skin felt smooth and warm from where he had placed his hands. Wanting to see for herself, she grabbed the top sheet and pulled it with her to stand in front of the half mirror above a dresser. She turned her back to the glass and craned her neck around to get a better look and gasped. There wasn't a single mark to say that she had just nearly died from a poison tipped kunai. Itachi was even more skilled tan she had already assumed.

She met his crimson eyes in the mirror.

"Arigatou, Itachi."

He nodded and gestured to other door in the room.

"Wash up. You will find a spare shirt on the counter for you to dress in."

Sakura gather up the sheet and headed for the bathroom, feeling slightly ridiculous carrying around the obscene amount of fabric to protect her modesty.

She was quick about showering and changing. She hadn't been completely naked under the sheet, thank Kami, so she still had her shorts to wear. The shirt Itachi had provided her with was clearly one of his. It was black with long mesh sleeves. The hem reached down to her mid thighs, giving the impression that she wasn't wearing any pants. Sakura frowned at her reflection (but really just her bare legs), she just couldn't get a break.

She fussed with her appearance, trying not to focus on the fact that there most likely other vicious Akatsuki members roaming around nearby. This was probably the most dangerous situation she had been in to date. That was not a very reassuring thought.

However, she did have Itachi there. He seemed to make a point of protecting her identity well enough. While it was for his own sake that he protected her, she still appreciated it. Knowing you had the great Uchiha Itachi on your side actually was reassuring.

Wait, had she just said her and the Uchiha were on the same side? While they would be partners, in a very loose interpretation of the term, for the time it took them to get Sasuke out of Sound, she could not depend on him. He was dangerous and risky. And humanizing him was a bad idea too. Yes, he had healed her back with a most tender caress, but he still was the same man who had killed every last living relative of Sasuke. She couldn't, mustn't over look that crucial fact.

She rolled up her sleeves, noticing the black kanji on the soft flesh of her inner wrists—Chakra blocks. She lowered the sleeves so that they were no longer visible and turned toward the door.

Itachi watched as Sakura reentered the room dressed in his shirt. As much as he loathed to admit it, the barely clothed kunoichi had been a slight distraction to his utter surprise. He pushed the thoughts away though as soon as they formed. His first priority was getting her out of the Akatsuki base.

"Come, you've been unconscious for two days. You need water and sustenance."

He lead her down the hall towards the kitchen. The majority of the Akatsuki had convened there as well. It was most unusual, especially when the talk silenced upon their entry. It wasn't long before what little chatter there was resumed when he offered Sakura a bowl of fruit and glass of water.

The less than friendly looks cast about Sakura irritated the Uchiha. Actually if he could better describe them he would say the looks were almost hungry. He knew Sakura felt it too because the hand that wasn't grasping the water glass trembled in the same way it had when he encountered her at the inn. She was afraid.

The situation was not ideal. Given her quick temper, Itachi didn't want to risk upsetting the irritable kunoichi. Hoping to ward off the offending glances, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. He dropped his hand to her thigh and trailed it up to her hip beneath the fabric of her shirt.

"So Itachi, what have you been up to for the past two days, yeah?"

Sakura swore she could feel every blood vessel in her cheeks swell with blood when she heard the blonde nuke-nin's comment. If Itachi hadn't sealed away her chakra she was sure the glass she was currently holding would be shattered.

Itachi didn't rise to the bait, only responding with "hn." Although now his thumb was stroking small circles against the skin above the waistline of her shorts. This small action served to distract her from the bubbling anger she felt toward the blonde, though it did nothing to abate her mounting annoyance with the Uchiha who seemed to think he could pull her around like a doll.

Sakura finished her water and apple. She was disappointed when Itachi gently tugged against her hip, letting her know he wanted to leave the kitchen. She could do with another dozen apples if you asked her stomach, still she wouldn't want to overwhelm her system with too much food after having none for two days.

Eyes tracked their exit, followed by not very well concealed snickers. It miffed Sakura that of all things, the Akatsuki possessed the ability to snicker. Then they were standing in the hall again, a little ways from the kitchen.

"You need to leave."

"Then show me the front door."

"It's not that simple. I will have to cast a genjutsu over you in order to keep the location of the base a secret."

"Very well. I suppose closing my eyes while you spin me around won't do."

Itachi just gave her a bank look and began to form the hand seals lightning fast. The last thing she noticed was how the floor appeared to be moving a lot closer before her vision went black.

The next thing she knew she was in the forest, Fire Country forest that was.

"I hope this 'me going unconscious' thing doesn't become a habit with you Uchiha."

He didn't seem to even hear her words, his entire focus on was an obscured object. He finished what he was working on and held it out for her to see.

His hands revealed a silver necklace with three hollow circles evenly spaced around the chain. It was beautiful in its simplicity.

"I've modified this to work as a means of communication. It is a one way device, however. I will be able to contact you through use of my ring. The connection will only work if the two of us are in possession of each of the articles."

While speaking he had pulled a scroll out from his robes.

"You will need to sign this in blood. It is similar to a summoning scroll in that respect."

Sakura nodded and by force of habit went to retrieve the kunai strapped to her thigh only to remember that Itachi had taken all of her things. Understanding her issue, Itachi supplied her with his own.

She made a shallow cut along her index finger and signed her name next to Itachi's. For some reason, the sight of their signatures side by side struck Sakura as absolutely ridiculous. If anyone had told her three days ago that she would be working with the infamous Uchiha Itachi she would have laughed in their face. But now it seemed all too real.

He tucked away the scroll and kunai, the necklace now the only thing in hand. Before she could protest, he undid the clasp and redid it behind her neck. He moved her hair out of the way so that the metal could rest on her skin. It was still warm from where it had rested above his collar bones. On her slender neck though, it slid down low past the hollow of her neck to rest in the center of her chest.

"So how will I be able to contact you?"

"You won't. And even if you find a way to do so, don't. This arrangement stays between us so your discretion must be absolute."

"And what about Akatsuki?" She said this as her eyes addressed the notorious cloak situated upon his shoulders.

"They are irrelevant. Trust that you are dealing with myself and myself alone. I expect the same of you when you return to your village."

So that was why he wasn't wearing the Akatsuki cloak when he propositioned her. He wanted to appear neutral, well as neutral as any shinobi could be in this world.

"Return to Konoha? But I thought I needed to be with Sasuke?"

"You do. Remember Orochimaru will come to you. It won't take long given his condition, but you may need patience. He will strike at the most opportune time, even if it means waiting for it."

Sakura didn't want to know what the snake Sannin thought was the "most opportune time." She knew she would be finding that out soon though.

"Uchiha, where are my supplies? I was actually in the middle of mission before you interrupted it."

He pulled out another scroll from his cloak and unsealed the contents. Inside was her medic skirt, gloves, Hitai-ate, and weapons pouch. She adorned her skirt, forehead protector, and gloves as well as secured her weapons pouch at her hip.

Sakura figured it was time for her to go. Despite all of the current action, she was still deeply concerned about the poisoned Konoha shinobi. She desperately wanted to return with the medicines and begin healing as many as possible before she would be leaving Konoha for who knew how long.

"You will know when I'm in sound?"

"Yes, I can track your position through the necklace. Expect me to contact you after your arrival."

While that little fact unnerved Sakura quite a bit, she knew she had to deal with it. Saving Sasuke was priority and this necklace was most likely going to be an asset rather than a burden.

"Well, until then," Sakura said with some uncertainty.

"Until then."

Itachi dissolved into a murder of crows, leaving Sakura alone in the forests she knew so well. She launched herself into the trees. This felt infinitely better after having her chakra sealed. He must have undid the binds while she was trapped in the genjutsu.

She ran as fast as she could towards Konoha. The trees began to thin as Sakura got closer and closer to the village. It wasn't until she was walking through the commanding gates that she realized that these bittersweet homecomings were numbered.

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**UofMluv**


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